Roof inspection cost
A roof inspection costs $150 to $400. It is the cheapest thing in roofing and the one that most often saves money, because it separates a $700 repair from a $14,000 replacement.
National average
$250
per each
On this page
- What you get for each price
- "Free inspection" is a sales call
- What a good report contains
- When to get one
- What you can check yourself first
- Frequently asked questions
- Is an inspection worth it if the roof looks fine?
- Will the inspector fix small things while up there?
- Does an inspection help an insurance claim?
- Can I use the contractor's free inspection to get a claim filed?
- How long does it take?
A roof inspection costs $150 to $400. A basic visual survey is $150 to $250; one that includes the attic and moisture readings runs $250 to $400. Drone surveys of steep or high roofs are $200 to $500.
It is the cheapest thing in roofing and the one that most often saves real money, because it is the difference between a $700 repair and a $14,000 replacement you were talked into.
What you get for each price
$150 to $250, visual. Someone walks the roof, photographs the shingles, the flashings, the penetrations and the gutters, and writes it up. Adequate for a routine check or a second opinion.
$250 to $400, full. The above plus the attic from inside: daylight through the deck, staining on the rafters, wet insulation, and ventilation at both the soffits and the ridge. Attic access is where most leaks are actually diagnosed, because water shows on the underside long before it shows on a ceiling.
$200 to $500, drone. For roofs too steep or too high to walk safely, and for documenting hail damage for an insurance claim. Some contractors now use them by default.
$400 to $700, infrared. A thermal camera finds wet insulation under a flat roof membrane that nothing else will show. Specialist work, worth it on a commercial-style flat roof, overkill on a shingle house.
"Free inspection" is a sales call
Most roofing companies offer one. It is a legitimate way to get an eye on the roof, and it is also a lead-generation appointment. The person on your roof is paid to sell roofs.
That does not make them dishonest. It does mean the incentive runs one way, and it is why a paid inspection from someone who does not sell roofing — a home inspector or an independent consultant — is worth the $250 when the number at stake is $15,000.
Two situations where you should pay for an independent one:
- A contractor has told you the roof needs replacing and you have no second opinion
- You are buying a house and the roof's age is unclear
What a good report contains
- The roof's estimated age and remaining life, with the reasoning
- Photographs of every problem, located on a diagram or by slope
- The condition of the flashings at every penetration, named individually
- Attic observations: staining, daylight, wet insulation, ventilation at intake and exhaust
- Gutters and drainage
- A clear split between "fix now", "watch", and "fine"
A report that is three photographs and a quote for a new roof is not an inspection.
When to get one
Every three to five years on a roof past ten, and annually past twenty.
After a serious storm, before filing anything. Most policies have a notice deadline, often a year and sometimes 180 days, and documented damage dated close to the event is far easier to claim than damage found eighteen months later.
Before buying a house. A general home inspector looks at the roof from the ground or briefly from a ladder. On a house whose roof might be near the end, $250 for a roofer's opinion is the best-value money in the transaction.
Before selling, so the roof's condition is a fact you present rather than a discovery the buyer makes.
Before the warranty expires. Many manufacturer warranties require the roof to have been maintained, and an inspection record is what demonstrates it.
What you can check yourself first
From the ground with binoculars, and from inside the attic on a bright day:
- Granules collecting in the gutters, which is asphalt shingles wearing out
- Shingles curling at the corners or lifting along an edge
- Any patch of roof that looks a different colour from the rest
- Daylight visible through the roof deck from inside the attic
- Dark staining on the rafters or the underside of the deck
- Insulation that is damp or flattened in one area
None of that replaces an inspection. All of it tells you whether to book one now or in a year.
Frequently asked questions
Is an inspection worth it if the roof looks fine?
Past fifteen years, yes. Asphalt fails from the top down and the early stage is invisible from the ground. Finding it a year early is the difference between replacing shingles and replacing decking too.
Will the inspector fix small things while up there?
Many will reseal a pipe boot or nail down a lifted shingle for a small charge or nothing. Ask. It is far cheaper than a second visit.
Does an inspection help an insurance claim?
Considerably, if it is dated near the storm and photographs the damage. It also helps in the other direction: an inspection showing a roof was sound before a storm undercuts a "pre-existing wear" denial.
Can I use the contractor's free inspection to get a claim filed?
You can, and many do. Be aware that a contractor offering to handle the claim and waive your deductible is proposing insurance fraud, whatever they call it.
How long does it take?
Thirty to sixty minutes for a visual survey on an ordinary house, ninety with the attic. Anyone finished in ten minutes has looked at part of the roof.
Read next
Roof leak repair cost$300 to $1,500per eachRepairing a roof leak costs $300 to $1,500, typically $700. Most of that spread is finding the leak: water enters in one place and appears somewhere else entirely.
How long does a roof last$386 to $749per squareArchitectural asphalt lasts 25 to 30 years, metal 40 to 70, slate 75 to 150. Most roofs fall short of their rating, and the gap is almost always ventilation.
Does insurance cover a roof replacement$1,000 to $10,000per projectInsurance covers a roof that was damaged, not one that wore out. What you pay is your deductible, plus the depreciation gap if your policy settles at actual cash value.
Roof repair cost$150 to $3,000per projectMost roof repairs cost $150 to $600. The minimum service call is $150 to $350 whether the fix takes twenty minutes or four hours, which is what makes small repairs feel expensive.
Emergency roof repair cost$300 to $700per projectEmergency tarping costs $300 to $700, and after-hours rates run 25% to 40% above scheduled work. An emergency is water entering the house; everything else costs less on Tuesday.